Discussion

Skirt Steak! what to do? what to do?

I keep hearing about skirt steak being a great tasting steak and want to give it a try, haven't bought this cut before. I'm a rib eye girl but want to try something new. I'm assuming most marinate this cut. Please share your favorite ways to do skirt steak - Thanks so much in advance.

I usually just marinate for an hour or two in red wine, olive oil, whatever herbs I might have around fresh (oregano, rosemary, thyme) and some garlic. Then I grill it on the grill pan for a couple of minutes on each side for rare to medium rare. Make sure you slice it against the grain, after resting. I do usually cut the long piece into several shorter ones so that they fit into the pan.

I love skirt steak. I usually sear it in a very hot cast iron pan. I sometimes don't even marinate it, but salt and pepper right before it hits the pan. It's a really tasty cut. Be sure not to overcook. Also good marinated and in a Chinesesque dish: tomato beef. I'm sure it's on the net somewhere.

Also good seared and sliced up for tacos or fajitas.

Skirt steak, however, has really gone up in price recently. It's now around $10 a lb. out here in SFBayarea. I have discovered another cut that hasn't gotten popular yet. It's a bit of a chore to cut the meat away from all the sinew, but worth it. It's butcher steak and is priced about $3 less than skirt steak. I asked my butcher about it when I saw it in the case and he actually trimmed it for me. That only happened once, unfortunately.

hangar and skirt steaks are cuts from the stomach area. you don't see many hangar steaks because this is usually ground up into hamburger. the reason skirt steak has gotten so expensive is because it has become a very popular cut with the increase in use for fajitas and tacos. If you can not find skirt and hangar steaks when you go to the store. ask your butcher to cut them the next time the butcher a side of beef. if no one is asking for these cuts, they just grind em with all the other less savory cuts for burger or stew meat.

Jfood loves skirts. In fact there was a stretch last summer when 5 consecutive weekend BBQ's featured this cut, and the guests always asked whatthey were and how they were prepared.. His favorite is buying a bottle of a sauce named Wasabiyaki. He slices the steaks into ~5" pieces and throws them in a plastic bag with the sauce. Into the fridge for a few hours. Then onto the grill for a couple of minutes on each side. He then serves whole on a plate and lets the guests cut and enjoy.

Yes, it is a great idea..I used to slice it up into thin cross-grain slices and toss in the flavorful rendered resting juices, but the meat often got cold faster...For a couple years I've been plating 5" sections...

It's such a tender, juicy, and buttery piece of meat that I've found it really doesn't need to be cut cross-grain when eaten as you would eat steak... Maybe folded in a tortilla it might be helpful...

I think skirt steak has such a great beefy flavor I do not like to marinade it. Since I live in an apartment in NYC, I cannot grill it, so like jfood, I cut it into lengthwise pieces that fit into my cast iron skillet, maybe 8 inches long. Then after the skillet is rippin hot, I liberally salt and pepper the steak and cook for maybe 2 minutes per side. Since it is so thin, you have to be careful not to overcook it.. shouldn't be more than medium rare. Then be sure to cut pieces crosswise to make it ultra tender. In the rare events I actually gussy it up, I top the cooked steak witha chimicurri sauce.

you can marinate it, use a rub, or whatever you want. Doesn't matter. Only things that matter with skirt are:

Don't let your marinade "cook" it. (watch the marinating time if the cuts are thin)

AND

DO NOT OVERCOOK IT!!!!!

I LOVE skirt. Very beefy, very tender, all kinds of fat in it. Use high heat, and cook it to med rare at the most. I usually char grill it and use it for tacos, or tostadas. Or I'll do a chimichurri type thing.

If you are a rib eye girl, be prepared to fall in love with this cut. And if you are in a big city with a decent Latino population, skirts should be a fraction of the cost of ribeye. I generally pay no more than 2.99/lb for choice skirts (inner or outer - outer being my preferred cut.)

It definitely has the flavor to stand on its own without much of a marinade, but due to the fattiness I think it does benefit from a bit of acid added after the fact- maybe a squirt of lime, or even a balsamic reduction, depending on what the rest of your meal is like.

You're getting those skirts at a great price- count me in on being jealous as well...

It's gotten pretty pricey in my area as well going for around $7-8/lb even though we have a lot of Latins in our area. First it has become more popular with the general population and second there is less yield.